Wrench



y 9 H. VCQJAHN WRENCH rum Feb. 16, 1926;

Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED STATES;

HERMAN G. J'AHN, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MINNESOTA.

WRENCH;

Application filed February 16, 1926. Serial No. 88,667.

This invention relates to wrenches and has for its object to provide such a device of simple construction and relatively few parts which may be cheaply manufactured and assembled.

Another object of the invention resides in the construction of a wrench having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw with nut engaging surfaces which are adapted to engage nuts of various sizes.

A. further object of the invention consists in the provision of a wrench having a spring pressed lever' cooperating with a movable jaw so as to open the same when the lever is pressed by the operator.

A further object of the invention consists in constructing such a wrench which is adapted to automatically engage the nuts which it is desired to manipulate and one which will operate after the manner of a ratchet.

Other objects and advantages of the in- VO ItiOII will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete wrench.

Figure 2 is a view similar thereto but showing the wrench in engagement with a nut and parts of the wrench shown in section; and

Figure 3 is an edge view of the wrench.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the numeral 1 indicates an elongated bar provided with a handle 2 at one end thereof and a fixed jaw 3 at the opposite end thereof provided with nut engaging surfaces 4.

The end of the arm adjacent the fixed jaw 3 is provided with a slot at one edge thereof and seated in this slot is one end of a movable jaw 5 which is pivoted within the slot as indicated by the numeral 6. This jaw member also is provided with nut engaging surfaces 6' as clearly indicated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. This movable jaw member is provided with a pocket 7 formed in the lower edge thereof and this pocket has a cam surface 8 for a purpose to be presently described.

As hereinbefore stated it is an object of the invention to provide a wrench which will automatically grip nuts of varying sizes, and which will also act after the mannor of a ratchet. To this end therefore, I have provided an arm 9 pivoted as indi cated by the numeral 10 in the slot formed in the edge of the bar hereinbefore referred to. The arm 9 is provided with a head 11 which is seated within the pocket 7 and is intended for cooperation with the cam surface 8 of the pocket. The head 11 of the arm 9 is held in engagement with the cam surface 8 by means of a spring 12 also seated within the before-mentioned slot and secured adjacent one end thereof by means of screw 13. Obviously this leaf spring 12 will force the arm 9 outwardly, thereby maintaining the head 11in constant engagement with the cam surface 8 which action will in turn normally force the jaw member 5 to closed position.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that when it is desired to engage the wrench over a nut it will only be necessary to apply the jaw member 5 to the nut and then manipulate the wrench so as to force said jaw open to a sufficient extent to permit the nut to be engaged by the surfaces 4 and 6 respectively of the fixed and movable jaws 3 and 5. The wrench will then automatically grip the nut due to the oper ation of the spring-pressed arm 9 and cam su face 8, and the nut may be turned if desired in the usual manner. Furthermore, when it is desired to grip the nut at a dif I ferent point it is only necessary to swing the wrench in the opposite direction which will aiiton'iatically cause the jaws to release their grip on the nut and permit other engaging surfaces to be grasped when the wrench is again moved in the original direction.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be apparent that I have devised a novel wrench of few parts and inexpensive construction which will automatically grip nuts of varying sizes, and which will also act after the manner of an ordinary ratchet.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described what I now believe to be the best embodiment of the invention, but I do not wish to be understood thereby as limiting myself or the scope of the invention, as many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; all such I aim to include in the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A wrench including a bar, a handle on one arm having one end pivoted to said bar and the opposite end in cooperation with the cam sulface, and a spring in engagement with 10 said arm to normally move said jaw and n'len'lber to closed posit-ion.

HERMAN C. JAHN. 

